


Star Song

by MasterChiefFunkoPop



Series: Sellsword [1]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Through the Moon Spoilers!!!, but it doesn't really matter, just a lil bit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:33:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26552155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MasterChiefFunkoPop/pseuds/MasterChiefFunkoPop
Summary: Callum's meditating at the Ruins of Elarion, when he meets someone he didn't expect.
Relationships: Aaravos & Callum (The Dragon Prince), Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince)
Series: Sellsword [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2010007
Comments: 14
Kudos: 63





	1. Of Wings and Rowboats

The cold would have been biting. For most people, the winter chill at the ruins of Elarion felt like a great beast sinking its thousand needle-claws into bare skin, injecting their bones with ice. Most people would feel a dull ache in their extremities, worry about fingers turning purple with frostbite; noses red and runny. For Callum, however, the cold was comforting. Doubtless, he felt the chill, he wore thick coats and fluffy fur hats. Tonight, though, he felt the need to go without.

The snow drifted down to Earth, specks caught alight by the campfire, settling onto the ground and Callum’s hair and getting caught in the feathers extending out of each mage-wing. His body was warmed by the wind. One of the many advantages of the Sky Arcanum was the hardiness against the cold. To fly at high altitudes, one needed protection against the bitter cold wind. It was fortunate that his feathers conserved heat, since he could wear no sleeves.

Callum’s body was largely unaffected by his surroundings, but his mind traveled around, experiencing each subtle change in wind direction and temperature, each flurry of snowfall sounding off, cannonballs in the otherwise still and collected night.

He sat cross-legged atop what he could only assume was a large dais or stage of some kind, wings extended out to each side to catch the wind. It was routine, now, to meditate for at least an hour or two in each new climate he encountered so as to feel out the differences in wind behavior, humidity, and temperature. It was cold, obviously, and the air was full of particulate water. Rain and snow spells would be extra powerful during the snowstorm, even as gentle as it was.

Storms of any magnitude charged Callum up like nothing else. The power in his core had been building since the clouds had gathered, the sky itself resonating with him. It was almost too much to bear now, despite the calmness of the weather. So, he breathed in, deeply, inhaling a snowflake or three in the process, and expelled as much energy as he could without firing off a Fulminis. 

Electricity crackled in the air, and the faint smell of ozone hit Callum’s nose. He briefly opened his eyes and watched his mage-wings as lighting sparked around them, originating from the center of his chest. He shook his wings out as the bolts subsided, leaving motes of light caught in the feathers. They almost looked like stars. Callum smiled at the thought. He closed his eyes and returned to his meditation. Something was nibbling at his mind, something he couldn’t identify. A presence? More than one? Perhaps. Whatever it was, it was powerful, and so far beyond. 

Beyond what?  
He really couldn’t tell. He couldn’t find it in himself to care, either, especially with the new figure he sensed moving through the air fifty meters behind him.

What the fuck was Rayla doing? This is a question the Moonshadow elf had asked herself many times by this point. She’d left behind the one person she knew she could always count on, the one who had literally jumped off the tallest mountain in Xadia for her, the only one she could say for certain loved her. She’d gone off on her own on some fool’s errand to find Viren, which, by the way, she hadn’t. Her mission had started with the not-so-dead-apparently Dark mage, but had quickly spiraled out of control with spectral enemies and evil plans and local corruption. She’d done some things she wasn’t proud of, too. When had Rayla, the Last Dragonguard, possible future princess of Katolis, turned into Rayla, petty thief, ghost chaser?

She’d just rowed herself across the Necrus River, the widest river on the continent, in a dinghy she’d stolen, and hated every second of it. At night. In the dead of Winter. What the fuck was Rayla doing?

Well. There was exactly one goal right now, and it was a short term one. Go to Elarion, find the Startouch elf some scavengers had claimed to have seen there. Ask for advice on what to do next. Beg for the use of a scrying spell so she could see Callum again. She missed him terribly. 

As she dragged the tiny boat on shore, clutching her cloak tightly to keep the cold out, she imagined. Maybe the rumors about Startouch elves were true, and they could travel to the past and future. Maybe she could go back in time and prevent herself from leaving Callum. She smiled bitterly. Were it so easy.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a warm, orange light. A campfire! She could take refuge there, if they’d let her. There was a figure facing the fire, their back to her. She took a moment to imagine it was Callum, waiting with a warm hug and forgiveness she didn’t deserve. She imagined apologizing and falling into his arms and sleeping the night away, plus most of the next day. She knew it couldn’t be true, though. She gripped her remaining sword, just in case.


	2. The Mage in Training

Callum dispelled the wings, preparing for a fight. The figure was walking steadily closer, but was far enough away that they wouldn’t be a threat, unless they were a mage or an archer. As he stood, he imagined turning around and seeing Rayla, his lost love, tired and regretful, asking for him back and apologizing for leaving. He wondered what he’d say. He quickly took stock of his possessions. His bag was packed, and his Sunforged sword, a gift from his soon-to-be Aunt Janai lay next to it. Good, if he needed to bug out, it wouldn’t take long. Turning around, he was floored at what he saw. In the flesh, poised elegantly and walking with purpose, was a Startouch elf.

“Hello,” the elf said in a deep baritone voice, glancing around as if distressed. Despite his posture, his face betrayed his concern at his surroundings. His skin was a deep indigo, hair whiter than the snow around them, with large, black, branching horns extending far behind his head. Star marks covered his form, including his ungloved hands, which clutched a cloth-wrapped parcel. The most striking thing about him, though, was the large, four pointed star that sat at the center of his half-exposed chest, glowing almost as brightly as the fire.

“May I join you?” he asked, gesturing to the fire. Callum gauged him. He could be a threat, but this elf was different from how they were portrayed in the stories. He seemed nervous, perhaps even naive. Callum nodded, saying, “Okay.” When the elf settled down on a log near the fire, he continued, “You hungry? Thirsty? You don’t look prepared for the cold.” The elf smiled at him. “Yes,” he said. “I am somewhat thirsty. I’ve traveled far.”

“Where’re you going?” the mage asked, handing his waterskin to the elf. “You don’t look like you’ve been traveling very far, if you don’t mind me saying.” The elf chuckled a little. “I think this is my destination,” he said. “I think I’ve been looking for you.”

Callum paused in the act of pulling his Skywing-made jacket on, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. The last two and a half years had not been kind to him. The last time someone had said something like that, it had ended with Callum barely winning a fight with a very strong Earthblood mercenary.

“Oh yeah?” he asked, shrugging his jacket on the rest of the way. “What can I do for you?”

“Well, first, I’d like to know your name, Sky mage.”

Callum eased slightly. He’d seen the wings, then. He decided to tell him, “Callum.” 

“Callum,” the elf repeated, considering the name as if it was a fine wine. “It comes from the Draconic for ‘sky’, does it not?” The human nodded the affirmative. “You were destined for this career, then?”  
It was Callum’s turn to chuckle, now. “No, destiny doesn’t exist,” he said. “My father said it was a book you write yourself.” The elf grinned warmly. “Your father was wise. He would have made a good Startouch elf.”

“Why’s that?”

“We Startouch don’t believe in fate. The stars sing to us, and we hear many possible futures. Anyone who claims to know what will happen, with one hundred percent certainty is a charlatan,” explained the elf. “That’s what Alab says, anyway. The stars don’t really give me anything.” 

The elf now stared at his hands, leaning in towards the fire. Callum examined his posture, noticing the poise and elegance from earlier melting away like snow in the spring. This was no powerful mage, this was a teenager. He reminded Callum of himself before he learned magic, actually. He guessed he was maybe sixteen years old, or the Startouch equivalent. Did their ages work the same as humans and other elves? Maybe he should start with the person first, before prying into culture and biology.

“So, what’s your name?” he asked. “It’s only fair, you already know mine.” The elf looked up at him with a blank expression. “What did you say?” he asked. “I… was thinking about something.”

“It’s fine. I just asked your name.”

“Oh!” the elf exclaimed, laughing a little. “How rude of me! I am Aaravos, mage-in-training of the Startouch elves.”

Callum’s eyebrows shot up. “Aaravos, like the Key of Aaravos?” The elf gave a puzzled expression. “I don’t recall a key being named after me,” he said. “I own a set of house keys, but…” He trailed off, jangling something in a pocket. “No, I still have those.”

Callum dug around in his backpack, pulling out his magic cube. He held it out towards Aaravos, watching the Star rune light up. He repeated the process for himself, and the Sky rune glowed. He then aimed it at his sword, and the Sun rune glowed.

“Wow!” the elf declared. “What a fascinating piece of technology! How does it work?” Callum shrugged. “I don’t know,” he answered. “I’ve asked a few other mages and we think something might happen when all six runes light up. We don’t know what, though. There’s no documentation or anything about this thing.”

The puzzled look returned. “Then how do you have it?”

“Family heirloom”

“Ah.”

The pair sat in silence for a while. Callum was struck with a thought. “Wait!” he shouted. “I have some Primal Gems in my bag!”

Callum frantically dug through his backpack, pulling out a pouch, from which he pulled a piece of Sea Glass, a Moon Opal, and an Earth Emerald. He set the cube down on the ground and placed the stones next to it so they were all touching. Then, he placed the sword’s hilt in a similar position. He looked Aaravos in the eye, and the two mages reached out and placed their hands on the top of the cube. 

There was a sharp click, and the cube sprung in half, each side composed of three of the cube’s faces. Inside was a white, glowing stone, shaped like a three dimensional version of the glowing star on Aaravos’ chest. The Startouch elf gasped. “It’s a Star-Heart!” he exclaimed, not elaborating. Noticing Callum’s silence, he indicated to his glowing chest and continued, “Every Startouch elf has a Star-Heart. It’s the source of our power and our connection to our Arcanum. Whichever poor soul lost their Heart could no longer do Star magic, if they even survived.” 

Callum closed the cube around the Heart. “I’ll find them. Whoever’s Heart this is, I’ll give it back. If they’re gone, I’ll bury it with them.”

“Thank you, Callum,” said Aaravos. He paused, glancing at his parcel, laying forgotten in the snow. He picked it up and brushed it off. “This is for you,” he said. “I had a vision and had it commissioned. It was the only time the stars have ever sung to me like that.”

Callum took the package with a sheepish, “Thank you,” and carefully unwrapped it. He then beheld a helmet made of black steel, finely crafted, glowing orange in the reflected firelight. It had several small openings and was decorated with tiny motes of light. A large, light blue crest adorned the top, like the helmets of ancient human city-states. The Sky mage wordlessly turned it over in his hands and put it on his head. To his surprise, he could still feel the wind, slipping in through the openings. He looked over at the Startouch elf. “It fits perfectly, he said, reading Callum’s mind. 

He was stunned by this elf for the second time. “Why?” he asked. The elf sheepishly looked at the ground, rubbing the back of his neck. “I had a vision. I saw a human Sky mage. He was fighting a pair of other human mages. He was hit in the head by a spell. I got the feeling the stars were telling me to help. There was another elf, I think. On the ground. Female. I don’t remember what she looked like, but she was… Moonshadow, I think.”

“Rayla.”

“What?”

“The love of my life is- was a Moonshadow elf. Her name’s Rayla,” Callum said, a spear of pain striking his heart. “She left me, in the dead of the night, two years ago, to hunt down a Dark mage.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Aaravos replied, placing a comforting hand on Callum’s shoulder. The human offered a small smile as thanks. “I miss her. Even now.” Aaravos hummed, clearly uncomfortable. “Oh well,” Callum said, trying to alleviate the tension. “Nothing to be done now. Not yet, at least.”

Aaravos changed the subject. “So, you’re a human mage.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors, some elves want humans to be exiled from Xadia entirely for not having an Arcanum. Well, if they see someone like you, they’ll have to keep you around!” he chirped. Callum stared at him through the helmet’s eye openings. He was suddenly starkly aware of the rumors that Startouch elves could time travel.

“Aaravos,” he began. “Who’s the reigning Dragon Monarch right now?”

“Rex Argent, of course. Why?” 

Callum looked the elf in the eyes. “I don’t want to freak you out, but I don’t know if that’s avoidable at this point. Either I’m in the past or you’re in the future. Rex Argent abdicated the throne 1200 years ago.”

Aaravos paled. “Oh my,” he said, freaking out. He looked around at the Ruins. “This… city wouldn’t happen to be on the bank of the River Necrus, would it?”

It was. Callum didn’t need to say it. Aaravos moved to say something else, but was interrupted when a blood curdling shriek tore through the Winter night. Callum wheeled in the direction of the noise, and turned back to Aaravos only to find him gone. His footprints remained, as did the helmet.

Callum didn’t have time to think, so he snatched up his things, shrugged his jacket off, and took flight into the snowy Elarion sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I invent the Dragon Monarch that came before Sol Regem just because I needed the timeline to match up? Yes, yes I did. You can't stop me. I am all-powerful.


	3. D Major Seven

Callum didn’t like how much that scream had sounded like Rayla. Logically, he knew it most likely wasn’t her, but his mind kept going back to one thought. Aaravos had said that he’d fight a pair of human mages, and a Moonshadow elf would be there. He knew it was possible he was currently flying into an ambush from Viren and Claudia, and that Rayla would be there. He was terrified.

The ‘presence’ in his mind from earlier had decided now was a great time to have a visit. This time, it asserted itself with passion, buzzing and humming and making noise inside his head, where he couldn’t block it or tune it out. The Star-Heart in the cube weighed his backpack down and the responsibility of fighting the Dark mages made his helmet all the heavier. He was worried about Rayla, but also if this was her, maybe they could make up and live happily ever after and have three kids and move in with Ethari and visit Lux Aurea for the Summer Solstice and the Banther Lodge for the Winter Solstice and have snowball fights and share jelly tarts and see how big Zym is now, but Callum also had to make sure he didn’t fall out of the sky because he wasn’t paying attention because of Rayla and Viren and Rayla and Claudia and Rayla and Aaravos and Rayla and wow, that humming is so damn loud, why is it so loud all of a sudden, why can’t he tune it out, why, Rayla, why did she leave where did she go and there’s just so much he wants to know and needs to know and

He knows.

He breathes.

He’s flying towards Rayla. She fought Viren and Claudia and some third person he can’t figure out, and she lost.

How does he know?

The stars sang it to him. He heard them in his mind.

He follows their song to a point where he knows she will be.

He steels himself, eyes hard as stone, mouth set in a grim, firm line, as he tilts downward, coming in for a landing near a campfire on the other side of Elarion, the side facing the Necrus River. Three dark figures are advancing on a fourth, who lies on the ground.

It’s Rayla.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anyone who disagrees that Dmaj7 isn't the chord of the gods can fight me
> 
> PS: vewy showt chaptew uwu


	4. Walnujum

At this point, it was safe to say that Rayla was not having a good day. A cheery Earthblood she’d met a few months ago had said something about cataloguing your days based on good things and bad things. In the good column: she found Viren and Claudia. The mission is pretty much over now. In the bad column: the mission is over because the Dark mages and their creepy Startouch friend with the pitch black Star-Heart are going to kill her.

Oh yeah, Rayla. Miss ‘I-Hope-I-Meet-A-Startouch-Elf’, look how that ended up, she thought. She’d been tuning out Viren’s monologue as his cronies stood menacingly to either side, but as he pulled out a very familiar leather pouch, her blood ran cold. “I’m finally going to do what I promised I would on the Spire,” he jeered, leaning forward into her personal space. The only thing scarier than his words was his face, gaunt and riddled with purple-black Dark magic scars. His teeth were rotten, his hair and beard wild. He looked like a madman. The others weren’t much better.

Rayla struggled against her bonds. This was the second time she’d been caught in Claudia’s chain trap, but there was no Callum to save her this time. Viren reached into the bag and withdrew a blank coin. He started chanting in reverse, as Claudia smirked smugly. Rayla stopped fighting. She closed her eyes, and waited for the pain.

She waited for a few seconds, and then waited some more. Viren’s chanting had stopped. Opening one eye, she saw all three facing away from her, the elf pointing at something in the sky. Was that…?

No, it couldn’t be. Rayla wasn’t that lucky. But, deep in her core came the spark of hope. Maybe it was rescue! One of the new Skywing Dragonguard, maybe? She’d even take Nyx at this point. It definitely wasn’t Nyx, though. This figure had wing arms. Callum had called them mage wings, right?

There was a beat of total silence except for the wind before a lightning bolt struck Viren at the center of his chest, sending him sprawling, with a smoking wound. The mystery Sky mage zeroed in on the mystery elf, flaring out his wings and kicking him in the chest with both feet. He stumbled back. The sky mage dispelled his wings, drawing from his hip a glowing Sunforged blade, sweeping it backwards and slicing Viren’s staff, which was in Claudia’s hands, in two. 

He turned his gaze to Rayla, and she felt a pang of fear. The helmet was intimidating, and she couldn’t see his face past the shadows the helmet cast over his eyes. He approached her with the sword, raising it high. She cowered behind her hands, and he brought the blade down, slicing through the chains that bound her.

She opened her eyes again to find he’d stabbed the sword into the frozen earth next to her. She scrambled to her feet, taking the sword in one hand and dropping to a ready stance. The mage fired a fulminis at Claudia, who dove to the side, as the elf rounded on him and shot a fire spell at his head. He dodged, which placed him directly in the path of Viren’s blast of Dark energy. It knocked his helmet off, and he stumbled back.

“Is that-” Viren began. “Callum?!” Claudia shouted in unison with Rayla, cutting her father off. She was silenced by the mage blasting her with an ice spell, freezing her up to her shoulders. Rayla took the momentary distraction to lunge at her quarry, burying the Sunforged blade deep into Viren’s gut. Claudia cried out in anguish as Viren’s lifeless form crumpled.

Rayla wheeled over to the Startouch elf, but he had sat down on a rock, breathing hard. Callum strode over to him. “Aaravos,” he said, his voice sounding so grown up, and yet, so him. “You look different. I imagine it’s been quite a while for you.”

“A thousand years, Sky mage Callum. You look the same,” he replied with a smirk. Callum shifted from foot to foot. “Well, it’s been about ten minutes for me.”

“That soon?”

“Yeah.”

The elf hummed in acknowledgement. Rayla noticed Callum’s clipped tone. It was similar but not quite the same as one she’d heard Ezran use in a political meeting. She hoped he wasn’t like that all the time. Glancing over to Claudia, she saw the Dark mage staring helplessly at Viren’s corpse. The look on her face was grim, but almost as if she’d seen him die before.

“Well,” Callum said, startling Rayla from her thoughts. “A promise is a promise, I guess.”

“You still have the Heart, do you?” the elf asked. Rayla was lost. She didn’t ask for clarification.

“Like I said, it’s only been ten minutes.”

From his bag, he drew his trusty magic cube thing that Rayla had almost died trying to procure. He set it on the floor, touching it with various other objects. “Rayla,” he said. “Sword, please.” She handed it over, deciding she did not, in fact, like his tone of voice, but also wasn’t going to argue.

He sheathed the blade before setting it on the ground, touching the cube with it. He then reached out and touched it with his hand. All six sides glowed brightly, before, with a sharp click, it opened to reveal a brilliantly glowing eight pointed gemstone. Callum gingerly picked it up, his fingers not quite touching it, and handed it over to the elf. He took it, just as gingerly, and asked, “What’s the Star component?”

“A lot can change in ten minutes,” Callum responded. There was a beat, and then the elf shrugged, absorbing the gem into his chest, causing his Star-Heart to glow once more. His face turned ecstatic, and he muttered, “Oh, stars, how wonderful it is to hear your song again.” Rayla was taken aback by how the malice melted away, his features strengthening.

Callum regarded the elf with a neutral calm that scared Rayla more than she’d like to admit. “I knew who you were before, Aaravos. Out of respect for the kid I met all those minutes ago, I’m going to let you go. I don’t know how much of Viren’s schemes were his idea and how much were yours. But, if I ever hear your name again, for some person you’ve wronged, or some mistake you’ve made, I will hunt you down and rip your Star-Heart back out. Clear?”

The elf’s face had taken a remarkable transformation, relaxing into a warm smile. “Thank you, Sky Mage Callum, or should I say Callum-Walnujum?” he said with a genuine smile. “I know who you are now, too. Might I visit you in Katolis someday?”

Callum’s face softened, as well. “Maybe someday.”

The elf, Aaravos, melted into the darkness, as Claudia apparently regained her wits and started screeching about how he was a traitor, and Callum was a traitor, and Rayla was a whore, and her dad was perfect, and Rayla tuned her out.

It turned out she didn’t have to, since Callum scooped up the Moon Opal he’d used on the cube thingy and used it to cast a Moon spell that silenced her noises. She was still screaming, but no sound was coming out. Callum’s shoulders sagged. He dropped down onto a rock and put his head in his hands.

“So,” he said, not looking up from his palms. “We should talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not good at fight scenes but who cares, it's 2020, nobody can get close enough to anybody else to fight anyway.


	5. Big Feelings Time

They did not talk. Not immediately. Callum flew South to Ocean Point, alerting the Queen’s emissary there to the presence of a Dark mage encased in ice, and another struck down, for real this time. He neglected to mention the Startouch elf that had been accompanying them. Rayla said nothing.

He noticed her silence. She answered the occasional yes-or-no question with a head nod, but that was all he was getting out of her. He tried his best not to let his inner hurt show. Some Moonshadow elves sent by the Queen came and collected Viren’s corpse and Claudia’s ice block. Rayla looked at the pouch of coins, but didn’t open it. Callum took it from her hands, gently, and placed it next to his backpack. Rayla said nothing.

“Rayla,” he started, after half an hour of tense silence. She quickly looked up to meet his gaze, then turned away. He wanted to say more, he really did. “Never mind,” he said, dejected. “I’m getting hungry, so I’m gonna go zap some fish. Please… please, don’t run off again.” Rayla said nothing, but he did notice a slight wince. He bit back the urge to apologize.

He returned a few minutes later with an armful of slightly smoking fish and was mildly pleasantly surprised to find Rayla in the same spot, tracing little lines in the snow with one finger. Callum got to work building a fire, lighting it with the heat of his sword, and grabbed a small knife from his bag to debone the fish.

It was roughly midday now, and the dreary gray clouds overhead amplified the oppressive silence engulfing the pair. Callum worked diligently, until his head was filled with the now familiar warmth of the stars’ song. Its echo filled his ears and resonated in his core.

They sang of two futures. In one, he saw himself marrying Rayla at a small ceremony at the Silvergrove. In the other, he saw himself visiting Rayla’s grave. Callum was the same age in both images. He shook his head to clear it of the stars’ influence, finding he’d dropped the knife. He picked it up and wiped it off, before returning his gaze to his elven companion. He decided to finish his work, and then they had to talk.

As the fish began to cook, Callum sat down and leaned back. He looked at Rayla across the fire. Where to even begin? He was pissed, of course, but, perhaps even more pressingly, a deep sorrow and the stench of betrayal threatened to overpower him. He could barely acknowledge the joy he felt knowing she was okay, she was here! They were together again!

He decided to bring back the old favorite. “So, I think we both have some Big Feelings…” Rayla snorted. That was progress. He decided to continue. “I’ll go first, I guess.” He saw her tense up slightly, but spoke again, ignoring the pang of guilt. “I’m sad, and angry, and hurt that you left. But I don’t really care that you felt like you had to leave. I know why you did it. I just… I just wish you didn’t feel the need to lie to me about it.”

Rayla’s mouth was set to a firm line. She reached up and rubbed at her eyes. Callum continued, doing his best not to burst into tears. “I’m so happy and relieved you’re alive, and you’re here, but I’m so frustrated, too. Why, Rayla? Why did you leave? Did you not trust me? Did I do something wrong? Please, just talk to me!”

She finally met his gaze. “I’m sorry,” she murmured. “And to answer your question, no, you didn’t do anything wrong, it’s just… I didn’t want to see you get hurt again.”

Callum wanted to explode. He wanted to rage and scream and shout and break things and hurl lightning bolts. He did his best to contain it, but the electricity arcing around his fists betrayed his feelings.

“Rayla, you can’t… I was gonna get hurt no matter what. Look,” he said, shrugging off his jacket and taking his tunic off, a newly formed Star-Heart adorning his chest, casting dramatic shadows over the raised and puckered skin of the various scars on his torso. He pointed at a particularly nasty set he’d gotten from a sadistic elf on a murder spree. He explained to her how he’d gotten each of his now numerous scars and nicks. Putting his clothes back on, he said, “Those scars aren’t your fault, but I chose this path. I knew the risks of being a human in Xadia, being a human Primal mage, being a prince away from his castle, et cetera. It’s my choice whether I want to go into danger.”

Rayla didn’t even attempt to stop the tears now, just curled up and hugged her knees. “I’m s- I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I hear you, I-I-” She couldn’t finish, breaking into sobs, ragged and choking, the bottled up emotion of over two years of guilt coming out at once. Callum’s anger evaporated. He stood and strode over to her seat, plopping down next to her. He carefully raised a hand, placing it on her shoulder. When she leaned into his touch, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her head to his chest and placing his cheek between her horns. They stayed like that for several minutes. Rayla didn’t pull away after she quieted.

She sniffled. “Leaving you is my biggest regret,” she said, taking a watery breath. “I wish the creepy Startouch fella hadn’t left. I wanna go back in time and slap myself upside the head for even thinking-”

She cut herself off, taking a shuddery breath. “The point is, I really fucked up. I don’t know if you’re gonna forgive me but I know I don’t deserve it. These last years have been without a doubt the worst of my life.” When Callum was sure she was done, he softly said, “I hear you. I want you to know, I do forgive you. And you do deserve it. I wouldn’t forgive you if you didn’t.” He’d been expecting her to dispute that point, but to his surprise and genuine delight, she didn’t.

“Okay. I’m just… I’m so happy you’re okay, and you’re here, and I get to sit with you.” Callum’s chest warmed. He pressed a soft kiss to her hairline. She nuzzled into his chest some more. Callum pulled away to look her in the eyes. Her face was gaunt, her eyes haunted by dark shadows, but it was her. She was here, she was okay.

Rayla’s gaze dropped to his lips, and she hesitantly leaned in. Callum closed the distance and kissed her softly. He pulled away and she tucked her head back into his chest. Callum sighed affectionately. There was more to talk about, like the pouch, Aaravos, the Star arcanum, what other Big Feelings they both might have been having, and where to go next. Right now, though, he was warm and comfortable, snuggled up with the newly reestablished love of his life, content to relax before the stars sang of a bad ending once again. 

“Callum?”

“Rayla.”

“I think the fish are burning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: I'm gonna post a fic  
> Me: writes 5/6ths of a fic  
> Me: posts all 5 chapters in 1 day  
> Me: still hasn't written the last bit  
> Me: >:)


	6. Epilogue

Janai and Amaya’s wedding was only two months away, so Callum and Rayla made the decision to go to Lux Aurea early. The trek had been long and filled with more Big Feelings, sorting out what was left over after what became known between them as the ‘Day of the Burning Fish’. They filled each other in on their respective adventures, including Callum’s run in with sixteen-year-old Aaravos, which had led to Rayla telling Callum how handsome and mysterious he looked in that helmet, earning a blush. Some things never change.

When they arrived at Lux Aurea, a place Rayla still had never been to, she expected to be met with some measure of hostility. Moonshadow elves and Sunfire elves never really got along when they weren’t coordinating attacks on the Pentarchy, after all. So, she was shocked when they met with Callum’s aunts, who pulled her into a bear hug first and lectured her about running away from Callum second.

It made her feel rather warm inside.

The lecture still wasn’t pleasant, but they respected her wishes not to talk about it all in too much detail. They accepted the news about Viren’s demise happily.

Now, as she sat at the dinner table and feasted in celebration of the end of the Dark mage, with Callum across from her, signing excitedly at his aunts and a pair of translators whose names she still didn’t know, all under the light of the Sun-Forge, Rayla knew it was all worth it. 

She wouldn’t leave him--leave this--again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone: "Hey Chief why did it take you like a thousand years to post this itty bitty baby chapter?"
> 
> Me: "Shhhhhhhhhhhhh"
> 
> jokes aside damn it took me so long to get around to writing this but OH BOY do I have some ideas for where we're gonna go from here.

**Author's Note:**

> Hoo boy its my first posted fic and I can't say im 100% happy with it, but if I don't post it now I never will, so here we are.


End file.
